Prescribed fire is an important wildlife habitat management tool. Additionally, prescribed fire reduces fuels (vegetation that can burn), thereby minimizing the risk of wildfire. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is planning to conduct a prescribed fire on the Kissimmee Bend Unit of Everglades Headwaters NWR during the next couple of weeks. It would cover the northern portion (roughly 1,960 acres) of the USFWS-owned part of the WMA (see map). We plan to avoid burning the day before, during, and the day after any schedules hunts. If you have any questions or concerns, please call 772-581-5557.
Visit Us
National wildlife refuges offer us all a chance to unplug from the stresses of daily life and reconnect with our natural surroundings. Several wildlife-dependent recreational uses have been determined to be compatible on the refuge.
Location and Contact Information
About Us
Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge lies in an area that is one of the great grassland and savanna landscapes of eastern North America. Still largely rural, this Greater Everglades area is a mosaic of seasonally wet grasslands, longleaf pine savannas, and cattle ranches that sustains one of the most important assemblages of imperiled vertebrate wildlife in the southeast U.S. and a large portion of the unprotected natural habitat remaining in peninsular Florida.
What We Do
Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a
national wildlife refuge
national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge
is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge has a fire management plan in place. The refuge also conducts habitat management and restoration projects, wildlife surveys,
invasive species
invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species
removal, and makes use of law enforcement, public outreach and education, establishing and maintaining partnerships, and conducting research as part of the Conceptual Management Plan
Our Species
Located in central Florida, the Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge encompasses a variety of habitats supporting a array of wildlife, including various amphibians and reptiles that tend to stay in localized areas to wide-ranging species such as Florida black bear. Numerous bird species, both resident and migratory, utilize refuge lands for foraging, loafing, and breeding. Common mammal species include white-tailed deer and a host of other mammals, such as raccoon, opossum, various rodents, and bats. Waters provide habitat for at least 50 fish species, most of which are found across peninsular Florida. More than 400 amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal species have been identified.
Our Library
Our digital library is a one stop shop for refuge documents and information.
